Apparatus for finishing knitted hose and the like



Jan. 12, 1932. -c;. HUNT APPARATUS FOR FINISHING KNI'ITED HOSE AND THE. LIKE Filed Aug. 51, 1929 Fig.1. 4

2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 12, 1932. HUNT 1,840,814

APPARATUS FOR FINISHING KNITTED HOSE AND THE LIKE Filed Aug; 51, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 1 2, 1932 UNITEe S ATES A E l' IFPICE GEORGE HUNT, or wnsr BRIDGFORD, ENGLAND, AssreNo'a T0 HUNT PATENT HOSIEBY,

FINISHING MACHINE COMPANY, LIM TED, or NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND a APrARArUs roR FINISHING KNIrrnn IHOSE AND rHnLIKE I Application filed August 31, 1929, SeriatNo. 389,799, and in Great Britain August 12,1929.

This inventionrelates to improvements in apparatus for finishing hose and other shaped articles made of knitted or other textile fabrics which are pressed. on formers of the requisite shape, and its object is to provide facilities for carrying on the operationxin a more expeditiousand convenient manner;

The common practice is to-employ a press with horizontal beds one of which is movable on vertical guides secured to the ends of the fixed bed, distribute a certain number of garments which have been previously placed on wooden formers between the heated beds of the said press, then press the whole simul taneously and subsequently withdraw them from the same side as they were inserted. The whole of the work entailed by this method, including the operation of the. press it self and the insertion and removal ofthe garments, is effected by hand. Considerable attention of the operator.

According to this invention, the formers carrying the garments are run in on one side of the press, and out at the other side being supported on or in a railway or the like. In order to enable this to be done, the press must 7 p be constructed so that there isa clear way throughin what may be termed the loi'igitudi nal direction, and also one at least of the sides parallel to such direction must be unobstructed,so that the formers which run on orin the railway or the like have a clear passage.

In the preferred form of the invention, the press is operated by power, and the formers with the garments disposed thereon, travel along a railway and are moved intoand out of the press by automatic me'ans. Preferably the operation of these automatic means com-.

mence conincidently with-the opening of the press and stop when it begins to close,'and in such case,:the time the formersarel in thepress can be of definitely set and predetermined period. Also the operation of changing the press contents is speeded up as one set of formers with garments thereon is moved into the press on one side, as the preceding setis moved out on the other side, and no time thus lost in mak ng the change.

p In constructinga press accordin tothis 1nvent1on,I prefer to arrange the edsin a vertical positlon, which enables the said beds bottomof the press unobstructed for the passage of the formers. has also other advantages hereinafter 'referred to. Furthermore, in order to avoid friction'as the formers enter the press, both beds are preferably made movable.

The vertical position 1 I Referring to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred way of carrying out the said invention. I f c Fig. 1 is afront elevation, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and

3 a plan of a press and the feeding mechanism directly associated therewith, constructed according to invention. 'Fi'g. 4 isfa front elevation, and r Fig. 5 a plan showing the general arrange 5, that the garment formers 1 can travel, along the railway 3, into and out of the space between the press beds4 and 5.

In what is found to be the mostconvenient arrangement whichis shown in the drawings,

, the heated bedst and 5 which comprise the.

press, are disposedin a vertical position-inn mediately above a straight portion 8a'of the 5 aredrawn to a smaller scale 7 55 to be supported with-facility, and leaves the endless railway 3, the beds 4 and 5 are disposed in vertical planes parallel to that of the railway, and the space between the beds when open is central with the railway track, and is quite clear of obstructions, so that the garment formers 1 which are also vertical, can be run straight into the space between the pressbeds 4 and 5 on one side, rest there whilst the garments thereon are pressed, and then run out again on the other side.

The former carrying carriages 2 are provided with wheels 6 to run on the top of the rails 3 (see Fig. 1) and with wheels 6a to run on the underside and prevent the carriages from being displaced. The garment formers 1 which are disposed vertically on their carriages 2 in the plane of the railway 3, may be composed of either metal or wood. The carriages 2 are of a length that will permit of a gang or train of the same being made-up with the garment formers 1 carried thereby disposed close behind each other as shown in Fig. 4. This train of garment formers can be run-in between the press beds 4 and 5, the garments thereon pressed, and the train then runout and a following train simultaneousl run-in, so that the operation of changing the garments in the press is carried out without any loss of time.

In Figs. 4 and 5 a train of garment formers 1 is shown in the press, whilst a second train is shown on the right which can be run-in as the preceding train is run-out.

After leaving the space between the press beds 4 and 5, the garment formers 1 are run back separately along the return portion of the railway 3, and at this part of the journey, the garments which have been pressed, can be readily removed from the formers 1, and others substituted and adiusted ready for the pressing process.

The carriages 2 might be connected up to form a continuous chain, but in this case, the garment formers 1 when out of the press, would it is considered be too close together for the convenient removal and replacement of the garments thereon, that is, if the maximum number of garment formers is to be accommodated in the press each operation, and in order to obviate this inconvenience, means are provided for automatically running a train of the garment formers into the press close together, and subsequently releasing them so soon as they have been run-out.

At the side of the straight part 3a or the railway 3 over which the press beds 4 and 5 are disposed, (see Figs 1 to 3), is an endless conveyor chain 7, the upper length of this chain is supported in a trough 8, and the whole of the carriages 2 are provided with pivoted pawls or catches 9, which are adapt ed to set up a connection with the chain 7, when they are moved on to the straight part 3a of the railway. It will be understood by reference to Fig. 1, that owning to the connection set up by the catches 9, the whole of the carriages 2 run on to the part 364 of the railway where the conveyor chain 7 is dis posed, will when the latter is moved forward, be carried into the press, then out of the press, and subsequently released when they reach the end of the conveyor chain 7. The garment formers 1 can thus be handled one at a time by the operator after leaving the press, and be passed along the return length of the railway at the same time as the necessary exchange of the garment thereon is being made. When this operation is completed, the garment formers can be moved on to the straight length 3a of the railway again, where they are picked up by the travelling chain 7 and again moved into the press.

The endless conveyor chain 7 is not run continuously but intermittently, being ad vanced to the required extent when the press opens between each of the'pressing operations. This is effected as will be hereinafter described.

The press beds 4 and 5' (see Figs. 1 to are located between two front standards 10 connected by cross stays 110, and two rear standards 11 connected by cross stays 111. These standards aresecured on a base frame 12, whilst the upper ends of the front and rear standards 10 and 11, are connected by cross stays 13. Both the press beds 4 and 5 are preferably moved in and out so as to provide a clear passage between them for the travelling formers 1, and both press beds are actuated by convenient power driven means.

As shown in the drawings, both the press beds 4 and 5 are partly supported on rollers 14 running on brackets 15 secured to the fixed frame, and just below these brackets is the straight part 3a of the railway 3, previously described. The front bed 4 is further supported and actuated by means of two horizontal plungers 16 mounted in bearings 17 on the front standards 10, whilst the rear bed 5 is in like manner further supported and actuated by means of two horizontal plungers 18, mounted in bearings 19 on the rear standards 11. The coil springs 16a, 18a, surround the respective shafts 16, 18,-and operate between one of the bearings 17, 19, and a respective collar 16?), 18b fired to the plunger 16 or 18; thesesprings serve for returning the press beds 4, 5, into open position.

The front press bed 4, is actuated by means of two cam levers 21 disposed on a shaft 22 carried in bearings 23 on the front standards 10, and two cams 24 on a cam shaft 25 carried in bearings 26 in the same standards 10. The upper endsof the cam levers 21 act upon the ends of the plungers 16, whilst their lower ends whichare provided with anti-friction rollers, are in contact with the cams 24.

ends of the plungers 18, whilst their lower ends which are provided withanti friction rollers, are engaged by the cams "31.

It will be seen more particularlyby reference'to'lligs. 2 and 3, that the ends of the plungers 16 and 18 are fitted with sliding caps 35, and that springs 36' are interposed between these caps and adjustable collars 37 on the plungers 16 and 18, and that theupper ends of the cam levers 21 and 28 act upon these caps 35, and consequently the compressing movement imparted to the press beds 4 and 5, is transmitted through these springs 36, and that as a result of this arrangement,

the pressure put upon the arments in the press can be regulated by adjusting the collars 37 on the plungers 16 and 18.

The cam shafts 25 and 32 are geared tothe main driving shaft 40, andboth are run at the same speed, the press beds 4 and 5 open and close each-revolution of the said shafts, and the open period relatively tothe closed period, is determined by the shapeof the operating cams 24 and 31.

' The main shaft 40 which is fitted with driving pulleys 39, is disposed transversely to the press beds 4and 5, and is carried in bearings 41 on the base framing 12. At the right of it is a countershaft 42 (see Fig, 3) which is carried in bearings 142 on the base framing, and-at the left of it'isfanother shaft 61 carried in bearings 161. "The shaft 42 is con nected'to the main shaft 40, preferably by means of a variable speed gear arrangement 43, and to the cam shaft 25 by means of a worm 44 thereon, a worm wheel 45 on a shaft 46, and agear wheel 47 on the latter engaging with a corresponding wheel 48 on the cam The countershaft 42 is also geared to the I cam shaft 32, by means of a second worm 5O thereon, (see Fig. 3) a worm wheel 5l on a shaft'52, anda gear wheel 53 on the latterengaging with a corresponding wheel 54 on the shaft 32. Both cam shafts 25 and 32 are thus 3 geared to the main shaft 40 and driven at the samespeed, which can however be varied by means of the variable gear 43. The latter may be of any well known construction.

The I conveyor chain 7 is mounted on sprocket wheels, only one, the driving sprocket 55 of which is shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This driving sprocket 55 is mounted on the front end of a transverse shaft56 carried 'inbeai'ings 57, and the rear end of this shaft is connected by means of a chain58 and sprocket wheels 59am 60, te ltheshaft 61' reviously referred to and shown-on the left hand side of the'main shaft'40in-F-ig. 3;

' nect' the front shaft '61 is geared tothe countershaft 42 by a pair of gear wheels 63and 64 onthe respec-- tive shafts Gland 42, and an idle wheel 65 on I cam lever 7 4 on the shaft 29', a clutch lever 68 mounted on the shaft 52, and a link 69 for connecting saidlevers. The operatingcam 67 is-adapted to control the clutch 66, where'- by the travelling chain is intermittently actuated, that is, it is started as soon as the press bedsopen, advances the required distance duringthis period so as to move a train of formers 1 into the press before'the press closes, remains stationary during the pressing operation, and then moves forward again so as to move the train outof the press and the next following train into it.

There'is a distinct advantage, other than that previously mentioned, in arranging the pressbeds 4and 5 in'a' vertical position, when they are'steam heated, and this advantage lies in the fact that there is no difficulty in this case in maintaining the'inner faces of both beds at a fairly even temperaturei /Vhen steam heated press beds are disposed in a horizontal position, one abovethe other, thelowerface of the upper, bed, is not so easily maintained at the same temperature as that of the upper face of the' lowerbed,

owing to the water of condensation which.

collects in the lower part of the interior of theupper bed and has to be constantly drained away. This variation in temperature of the external faces of the two beds does not occur when they are vertical, as both thenv work under the same conditions. I

'If desired, provision may be made for damping or conditioning the garments ready for pressing, after they have been placed and adjusted on the garment formers, as the said adjustment can be more expeditiously performed when the dry state. I j In this case a box or casing 70 is provided above the railway 3 at the point indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, thisboX or casing is preferably fitted with steam jets or inlets, and a passage is left therethrough for" the passage of the formers 1.: The latter may be carried throughthis casing lay-means of another'conveyor'chain, which is run'at a speed 20 1 which' is adjusted 'to passthe formers 1 through the box or casing 70 in the period of time required to' condition them ready for press ng. p

lfipreferredithe press beds 4 and 5 may be suspended from the rails 13 which cross eonand'll; -In this case the I plain horizontalupper surfaces, and wheels garments are in a perfectly rai1s13 are provided with the" cam shaft 32, through the agency of a and rear pairs of standards 10 running thereon are carried by'axles mounted in brackets secured to the top of the press beds.

This arrangement provides more room below the beds for the garment former railway, and is in this respect more convenient than the arrangements shown.

Although a railway with formers having wheels running on the said railway is the most convenient arrangement, the formers might be made to slide in a groove or the like, or on a surface with guides, or be placed on a moving platform, and I intend all such arrangements to be covered by the expression railway or the like. The formers may also be on carriages which have projections with or without wheels on both sides of the rails, and this would generally be necessary if horizontal press beds were adopted. Also the formers may be run-in in an inverted position, so that they depend from their carriages, though this arrangement is not in general so convenient.

Other means than those shown may be used for moving the formers into and out of the press, and my invention includes cases where they are so moved by hand.

hat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In apparatus for pressing shaped articles made of knitted or other textile fabric on formers, the combination of a press, means for opening and closing the press, a railway track, carriages adapted to travel along the track and normally disconnected from one another, a plurality of garment formers mounted on said carriages, and means for engaging with a plurality of said carriages and moving them in atrain of garment formers and carriages in close order into the press and after the pressing operation moving them out and releasing the carriages comprising each train.

2. In apparatus for pressing shaped articles made of knitted or other textile fabric on formers, the combination of a press, means for opening and closing the press. a railway track, carriages adapted to travel along said track and normally disconnected from one anothe', garment formers mountedon said carriages, an endless driving chain associated 'ith the track, catches on the carriages for engagement by the chain whereby the carriages are advanced with the chain, and means for intermittently advancing the chain whereby trains of the carriages and formers in close order are moved into the press and then after the pressing operation moved out and disconnected from the driving chain.

3. In apparatus for pressing shaped articles made of knitted or other textile fabric on formers, the combination of a press, means for opening and closing the press, a railway. track, wheeled carriages adapted to roll along the track and normally disconnected from one another, a plurality of garment formers mounted on said "carriages, and means for engaging with a plurality of said carriages and moving them in a train of garment formers and carriages in close order into the press and after the pressing operation moving them out and releasing the carriages comprising the train. 1

4. In apparatus for pressing shaped articles mane of knitted or other textile fabric on formers, the combination of a press, means for opening and closing the press, an endless railway track associated with the press, carriages adapted to travel along the track and normally disconnected from one another, garment formers mounted on said carriages, and means for connecting a plurality of said carriages with the formers thereon in close order to form a train and to move the said train into the space between the press beds from one side and then out of said space at the other sideand thereafter for releasing the carriages and formers so that they can be run around the track ready to enter the press again.

5. In apparatus for pressing shaped articles made of knitted or other textile fabrics on formers, the combination of a press with vertical beds, means for opening and closing the press, a railway track extending beneath the press, carriages adapted to travel along the said track and normally disconnected from one another, garment formers supported in vertical position on said carriages, and means for engaging with a plu rality of said carriages to form and move a train of the carriages and garment formers in close order into the press and thereafter to move them out of the same and release them from one another.

6. In apparatus for pressing shaped articles made of knitted or other textile fabrics on formers, the combination of a press with vertical beds, both of said beds being movable, horizontal plungers to which the said beds are connected, cam mechanisms adapted to move the beds in and out through the agency of the said plungers, a railway track running under the said press beds, carriages adapted to travel along the said track and normally disconnected from one another, garment formers mounted vertically on said carriages and carried thereby in a path between the vertical beds, and means for engaging with a plurality of the carriages to form a train of carriages and formers and move the same in close order into the press and then move the same out of the press and release the carriages and formers comprising said train.

7. In apparatus for pressing shaped articles madeof knitted or other textile fabrics on formers, the combination of a press, means for opening and closing the press, a railway track associated with the press, carriages adapted to travel along the said track and normally disconnected from one another, garment formers mounted on said carriages, and means for engaging a plurality of the carriages and forming thereof a train of carriages and garments formers in close order and to move said train into and out of the press, and a driving device connected to said opening and closing means and to said 1 engaging means whereby the movement of the V carriages and formers ceases before the press closes and is resumed after the press opens.

' 8. In apparatus for pressing fabric articles made of knitted or other textile fabrics on formers, the combination of a press,

means for opening and closing the press, including a driving shaft, a railway track' associated with the press, carriages adapted to travel along the said track and normally disconnected from one another, garment formers mounted on said carriages, an endless driving chain associated with the track and adapted to engage a plurality of the carriages to form atrain of carriages and formers in close order and to move the said train into the press and then move it out again and release the carriages and formers constituting the train, means for intermittently advancing the chain including a clutch, and a cam on said driving shaft, and means operated by the cam to control the said clutch.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

GEORGE HUNT. 

